Twice a year, it is time to turn off the televisions and other electronics with screens and focus on family time. 
You might wonder, "Do we really need a national organization devoted to making this happen?" or you are probably thinking "No way, how can I live without my tv programs!"
Well, I thought the same thing until several years ago, I took my children to Peru where my mother was born. She came from a small village 16,000 feet in the mountains and you can only get there by bus or train, then car to the town.
Anyway, the town still lives much like it did 100 years ago and that means there was no tv. My kids, teens at the time, were initially stunned but then we began to find other things to entertain ourselves. And you know what we discovered, how much we enjoyed talking, playing cards, sharing stories and memories and taking walks together.
We did find so many ways to pass the time and it was fun. So for me, this is a special week that brings back a special time when I got to step back into time with my children where life was simple and there were no electronics at all. Did I forget to mention star gazing?
Nourish Thought for the Day:
Sometimes the best family memories come from the simplest activities.
101 Screen-Free Activities
1. Listen to the radio.
2. Write an article or story.
3. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.
4. Write to the President, your Representative, or Senators.
5. Read a book. Read to someone else.
6. Learn to change the oil or tire on a car. Fix something.
7. Write a letter to a friend or relative.
8. Make cookies, bread or jam and share with a neighbor.
9. Read magazines or newspapers. Swap them with friends.
10. Go through your closets and donate items to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or a local rummage sale. Have a garage sale.
11. Start a diary/journal.
12. Play cards.
13. Make crafts to give as gifts. Try a new craft.
14. Do a crossword puzzle or play Sudoku.
15. Save money: cancel your cable TV!
16. Learn about a different culture. Have an international dinner.
17. Teach a child some of your favorite childhood games.
18. Study sign language.
19. Write a letter to your favorite author.
20. Cook dinner with friends or family.
21. Make cards for holidays or birthdays.
22. Play chess, bridge, or checkers.
23. Play charades.
24. Have a cup of coffee and a conversation.
25. Repair or refinish a piece of furniture.
26. Make a wooden flower box.
27. Wake up early and make pancakes.
28. Read a favorite poem. Read poems by poets new to you
Outdoors__________
29. Learn about native trees and flowers in your area.
30. Plan a picnic or barbecue.
31. Go bird watching. Learn the names of local birds.
32. Walk the dog. Wash the dog.
33. Plant a garden. Work in your garden.
34. Take a nature hike.
35. Feed fish or birds.
36. Watch the night sky through binoculars and identify different constellations. Observe the moon.
37. Learn to use a compass.
38. Take photographs and then organize them into an album.
39. Do yard work.
40. Go camping.
41. Take an early morning walk.
42. Climb a tree.
43. Watch a sunset; watch the sunrise with a friend.
Around Town_______
44. Attend a community concert. Listen to a local band.
45. Visit the library. Borrow some books.
46. Visit a local bookstore.
47. Visit the zoo.
48. Visit the countryside or town. Travel by bus or train.
49. Attend a religious service.
50. Go to a museum
51. Walk to work or school.
52. Attend a live sports event.
53. Look for treasures at a yard sale.
54. Try out for a play. Attend a play.
55. Collect recycling and drop it off at a recycling center.
56. Learn to play a musical instrument.
On the Move_______
57. Go roller skating or ice skating.
58. Go swimming. Join a community swim team.
59. Start a community group that walks, runs or bikes.
60. Organize a game of touch football, baseball, or softball in the local park.
61. Go for a bicycle ride.
62. Learn yoga.
63. Play soccer, softball or volleyball.
64. Play Frisbee.
65. Workout.
66. Go dancing. Take a dance class.
In Your Community__
67. Organize a community clean-up or volunteer for charity.
68. Become a tutor.
69. Join a choir. Sing!
70. Start a bowling team.
71. Visit and get to know
your neighbors.
72. Start a fiction or public policy book group.
With the Kids_______
73. Make paper bag costumes and have a parade.
74. Design a poster for Screen- Free Week.
75. Discover your community center or local park activities.
76. Blow bubbles.
77. Draw family portraits.
78. Build a fort in the living room and camp out.
79. Research your family history. Make a family tree.
80. Invent a new game and teach it to your friends.
81. Make a sign to tape across the TV during Screen-Free Week.
82. Play hopscotch, hide & seek, or freeze-tag.
83. Organize a neighborhood scavenger hunt.
84. Play board games with family and friends.
85. Clean up or redecorate your room.
86. Make puppets out of old socks and have a puppet show.
87. Write a play with friends. Perform it at a nursing home.
88. Construct a kite. Fly it.
89. Go on a family trip or historical excursion.
90. If it’s snowing, go sledding or make a snowman.
91. Create a collage out of
old magazine pictures.
92. Shoot hoops with friends. Play a round of H.O.R.S.E.
93. Make a friendship bracelet.
94. Create a cookbook with all your favorite recipes.
95. Tell stories around a campfire.
96. Plan a slumber party.
97. Bake cakes or cookies and invite friends for a tea party.
98. Construct a miniature boat and float it on water.
99. Write a letter to your grandparents. Make a special card.
100. Create sidewalk art with chalk.
101. Everyone! Have a huge party to celebrate a Screen-Free Week!
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